This album was an interesting listen. As someone from Illinois, born and raised, and still living here, it was interesting to see the take on a slice of Illinois history. This album, overall, was different for me. It was outside my wheelhouse, but I don't think it was for the better or the worse. I like the different elements of his music here. Some were more indie/folk, other numbers featured instrumentation such as brass and matched the eras of past events, which I appreciated. Overall, it was a fun trip. I liked the variety for not knowing what to really expect (I've heard of Sufjan Stevens, but hadn't explored his work).
Pink Floyd is truly one of those bands that people really love or really hate, I've discovered lately. Personally, I enjoyed this album. This was the first album I ever listened to from Pink Floyd growing up (they were much earlier than me in existence). I enjoy their experimentation and their prog elements. I like that they weren't doing the same thing as contemporary acts, and Money was the first song on bass I learned, so this one is personal. That said, I'm trying to give this a listen as if I wasn't familiar with it. I'm not Pink Floyd's biggest fan nor their biggest hater. I enjoyed this sonic journey back in time.
I never really gave the Beastie Boys much attention. I heard a song growing up, didn't like it, and moved on. Now, I'm in my mid-30s and gave this a listen. And I must say, it's really built my respect for the band. Their use of early sampling, groovy bass lines, and a mix of genre-bending elements made this a pretty fun trip. This may not be their most well-known record, but considering early hip-hop, this is a milestone venture. This was fun. I didn't think I'd enjoy this as much as I did.
This was a nice journey.
The Ramones are a band that gets a lot of flak for being repetitive. I get it. I heard this album twice through because it was so short. Yes, each song could literally bleed into the next song, and the cuts were roughly under 3 minutes apiece. While the original group has been gone for a bit, let's be real. We wouldn't have modern rock or pop punk if we didn't have the Ramones doing a lot with very little. They weren't super technical, but damn, they paved a path like no other. This was their debut, and this is groundbreaking. It's not everyone's cup of tea, but you have to acknowledge the past to appreciate the future.
This is quintessential CCR right here. This is their sophomore effort, but it clearly builds off of their debut album, "Creedence Clearwater Revival". Bayou Country might be only seven tracks, but boy, does it pack a punch. Born on the Bayou and Proud Mary both went on to propel the band and their unique sound forward. Not surprisingly, their cut of Good Golly Miss Molly is stellar as well. Other tracks, such as Bootleg and Graveyard Train, give listeners a deeper dive into their southern rock, folk, and blues-oriented grooves, and what would be the epitome of the band as we know them today. This album is a major part of how you recognize CCR when you hear them on the radio.
This album is legitimately a groundbreaking experience as it helped launch Beyoncé's career. This one has most of Destiny's Child's biggest hits. Survivor is an anthem, Independent Women was on every pop, hip-hop, and R&B radio station and in every club, Bootylicious was a rump shaker, popular of the new millennium, even though it was Edge of Seventeen. You even have the more ballad-esque pieces like Emotion. So, for a record from the turn of the 2000s, this really had everything you look for. Pop grooves, slow sexy jams, anthemic tunes, and club material. Maybe my opinion is unpopular, but really, to me, this checks the boxes.
So, on this one in general, I am getting mixed feelings. I like psychedelic rock, I like blues rock, I like the intent here. I appreciate Clapton's guitar and vocal chops, especially considering the contemporaries of the time. However, I don't like Clapton personally. That's not a part of this, though. Someone else stated exactly how I felt about this record. It is a cut of 11 songs at 33 minutes, which is relatively short. However, this one feels a lot longer. I don't know if every song just sounds the same, and I get lost where one ends, and another begins, or if it's like "Hey, it's Sunshine Of Your Love," and the rest is just kind of there.
So maybe I'm not admittedly as open-minded as I thought. This is a bit out there for me, and I've learned it's not my vibe. Yes, there's elements of a French Pink Floyd, NIN, and what I thought sounded like Megadeth (Pas Mal). I appreciate the opportunity to listen to something outside of my comfort zone. This is for some people. Sadly, I'm not one of them.
